Blog entry

It has been quite a while since I shared new, one of a kind necklace and earrings designs. The autumn show season has started and it seems I’m making new items, setting up at shows, selling at shows and packing up from shows. So my Shadow Dog Designs online shop hasn’t seen a whole lot of new handmade items posted lately - and many that were posted have sold. But I wanted to share the five newest pieces, plus three that are fairly new and one Halloween and one Christmas design. To see more information about individual items, either click on the photograph or the link under the photo - both will take you to the item in the shop. I hope you enjoy looking . . . and maybe buying!

All this month, merchants celebrate “Christmas in July.” Believe it or not, the real Christmas will be here before we know it - yikes! To celebrate Christmas in July, I decided to share items from three handmade artists that either have holiday items on sale or are offering free shipping. The items range from sweet baby clothing, to unique ornaments, to fun Christmas art, and to sparkling holiday jewelry. The three artists are: Pamela of MagdaleneKnits; Jacki of Christie Cottage; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.

I hope you enjoy these selections. Don’t wait! Start your Christmas shopping early while there is a wide selection of unique handmade beauties.

More than usual this year, I have been drawn to Christmas / Yule art, especially those pieces with an Old World feeling and those with animals. It's even better when St. Nick or and angle has an animals with him/her! I have pinned quite a few Christmas beauties on a couple of my Pinterest boards. After browsing them, I decided to share a few with you. I’ve included the artist’s name and/or link - only fair. I hope you enjoy these and that they put you in an even more festive frame of mind. MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY YULE!

Earrings are always a great gift for the woman who loves to wear them. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and colors and price ranges - always something perfect for the intended wearer that won’t break the bank. I’ve featured twelve pairs of earrings that can be found in my Shadow Dog Designs handmade jewelry shop: eight of the newest pairs listed and four sparkling pairs of Christmas earrings. I hope you enjoy browsing the beauties . . . and maybe at least one pair finds its way into your shopping cart and then under the Christmas tree.

Christmas will soon be here. As anyone who browses the internet know, there are millions and millions of gifts out there, many of which are mass produced in sweatshop conditions. But there is always another option: BUY HANDMADE! I love this very timely and true quote by J. Donald Walters:

When you buy something made by a person, there is something special there. And you do feel it. The consciousness with which the thing is made is often more important than the thing itself.

Week 6 of the Countdown to Christmas quickly came and went and a unique collection of artisan handmade items were shared for all to see. According to the ever tickingChristmas clock, the jolly man pulled by his team of flying reindeer visit all good boys and girls in only 55 days! Looking to start your Christmas shopping? The Countdown is the perfect place to do just that! A good motto to follow: shop early, shop often! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE!

The Christmas shopping season will soon be here (if you haven’t already begun your list making and your shopping!). I’ve been working hard to list new pairs of earrings and necklaces in my Shadow Dog Designs handmade jewelry shop and wanted to share the new creations with you. Each piece is a perfect gift for the discerning woman who enjoys wearing truly unique artisan handmade jewelry. With the exception of two of the Christmas earrings at the end of the post, all of the jewelry designs are one of a kind pieces. Just think - you or a loved one will be the only person in the universe wearing that particular piece when purchased!

Christmas is almost here, just over a week away. It seems to keep arriving sooner and sooner each year! In case you are still needing to do some shopping, I’ve pulled together a wide range of beautiful items, each one handmade by a very talented artist. When you buy handmade, you are buying a “piece” of the artist: cool, trendy, unique, and oftentimes one-of-a kind. I hope you enjoy the items shared below . . . and that one or more makes an appearance under your Christmas tree.